Back to search

SIS-UTENRIKS-Støtte til utenrikspolitiske institutter fra UD

SIS PRIO: PRIO Middle East Centre (P-MEC)

Awarded: NOK 12.8 mill.

The PRIO Middle East Centre was established with the purpose of offering timely relevant analysis, policy-input and public commentary on the dynamics of peace and security in the Middle East. The centre opened in fall 2019, and with one year extension granted, was funded till end of 2023. It is our assessment that the project has been successful in living up to its purpose, and that the specific funding mechanism – a Strategic Institute Program (Strategisk Instituttsatsning) – which offered the opportunity to respond to new developments in the region, was key to its success. The project drew on a combination of PRIO researchers and resource persons in the institute’s wider network (28 people in total has contributed to its research). The research agenda has been developed organically, in dialogue with key users of the research, particularly the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The production of academic publications, policy-oriented analysis, as well as popular communication (in the form of op eds and blogposts, public seminars, as well as media commentary) has been substantial. While centre funding is expired, and the ability to respond rapidly to new developments thereby severely reduced, the centre funding has also enabled us to attract funding for a number of new projects on the Middle East, and the centre structure will be sustained, albeit with a lower level of activity. In addition, PRIO received additional funding to 'develop knowledge about Norway's position in the Security Council’. To strengthen the goal of a knowledge-based foreign policy in connection with Norway's membership in the UN Security Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), organized a series of roundtable meetings during the period 2021-2022. The overarching goal of the Dialogue Forum was to create a platform for researchers and decision-makers to share information and engage in open discussions among different sectors on how to understand and address complex issues. The dialogue between decision-makers and researchers through the Dialogue Forum proved to be highly relevant and rewarding. The forum helped identify factors that need to be considered and opened up new perspectives on complex societal challenges. In addition to the Dialogue Forums, PRIO disseminated information about the Council and Norway’s term in the form of seminars and written outputs.

The PRIO Middle East Centre has been at work since fall 2019. The centre has been successful in meeting its overall objective, as defined in the original proposal: ‘to develop a capacity to offer up-to date, nuanced and solutions-oriented research insights on the dynamics of peace and security in the Middle East, built on close dialogue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) about its needs’. This was a Strategic Institute Program (Strategisk Instituttsatsning), where the purpose to be able to respond to changing priorities, and this particular funding mechanism has worked well in enabling the matching of our expertise to the dynamic situation in the region. The centre has had significant achievements, including engaging 28 individuals with diverse backgrounds, enabling us to deliver pertinent research, policy advice, and public commentary on regional developments. Regular engagement with key sections at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Norway’s embassies has been important in defining research priorities. Our communication efforts have been comprehensive, producing 46 popular articles, 4 books, 8 book chapters, and 17 scholarly articles produced, alongside public seminars and roundtables. Hosting 18 invitation-only roundtables has facilitated crucial policy dialogues, complemented by introductions at thematic meetings and informal briefings. Our media commentary, consisting of 46 popular articles and 18 public seminars, has extensively influenced public discourse and opinion formation. In addition, PRIO received additional funding to enhance UN Security Council understanding during Norway’s term (2021-2022). This led to a Dialog Forum format to bolster a knowledge-based foreign policy regarding Norway's Council membership. In collaboration with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NUPI, a series of eight thematic roundtable meetings (2021-2022) and a reflective roundtable (2023) were organized. 73 researchers from 35 institutions participated, along with decision-makers and experts. In reporting back to Stortinget, the research exchanges were argued by the Foreign Minister of Norway as having contributed to the work of Norway during it Council term and by the Deputy Foreign Ministers that continuously led the meetings throughout the period. The concept was later turned into guidelines to support future research-policy exchanges. In addition to the Dialogue Forums, PRIO disseminated information about the Council and Norway’s term in the form of seminars and written outputs.

Funding scheme:

SIS-UTENRIKS-Støtte til utenrikspolitiske institutter fra UD